Conservation and Human Needs

Start with the concepts

Begin with the mind map “Thinking about conservation”. It brings together questions about the means and objectives of conservation alongside changes associated with the Anthropocene, including increases in greenhouse gases and a decrease in global biodiversity.

Next, try the quiz “Conservation, Preservation, and Sustainability”. Its questions distinguish conservation as an active process from preservation, which focuses on keeping species and habitats as they are. The notes on conservation of ecosystems also bring together preservation, sustainability and human activities. Use them to look again at ideas you want to study after the quiz.

Explore people and places

Once you have a starting point, look at the mind map “Balancing the conflict between conservation and human needs”. It covers the Terai region of Nepal, including pressures from agriculture, urbanization, forest resource use and grazing. A flashcard deck on the same theme asks about the people and endangered species in the region and how their needs have been balanced.

Another mind map brings together the Terai region and the Maasai Mara in Kenya. For a different angle, the flashcards on human-wildlife conflict ask where conflict occurs, what drives conflict involving elephants, and what its impacts are on people and animals. Read a map first, then use the related flashcard questions to check what you can recall.

Connect the resources

Conservation and Human Needs is a section of the Conservation and Protected Areas unit in Environmental science and ecology. Within this section, you can move from broad conservation ideas to examples involving people and wildlife. A mind map on links between CPR insights and biodiversity conservation also considers connections across local and global scales.

Return to the quiz after studying the maps and notes. Compare the questions with the ideas you have seen, and use the maps to find points worth another look. Choose a resource that fits where you want to start.